what to do if one is not losing weight on a low carb diet?

For those others reading this, the answer is "it depends on the person." I know many people who have lost without a deficit.

Based on what do you "know" they lost without a deficit?

The first law of thermodynamics dictates that body mass remains constant when caloric intake equals caloric expenditure. It should be noted, however, that different diets lead to different biochemical pathways that are not equivalent when correctly compared through the laws of thermodynamics. It is inappropriate to assume that the only thing that counts in terms of food consumption and energy balance is the intake of dietary calories and weight storage....Samaha et al. randomly assigned 132 severely obese subjects to a low-carbohydrate or calorie and fat-restricted (low-fat) diet [17]. Seventy-nine subjects completed this six-month study. It should be noted that the difference in consumption of energy from carbohydrate was quite narrow: 51% in the low-fat group and 37% in the low-carbohydrate group. Total energy intake at the 6-month mark was 1567 kcal/day in the low-fat group and 1630 kcal/day in the low-carbohydrate group. Thus, the low-carbohydrate group consumed 54 extra kcal/day. Nevertheless, the low-carbohydrate group lost 5.8 kg (and was still losing weight at 6 months) vs. 1.9 kg (leveled off) in the low-fat group. Both groups were given an exceptional number of contacts with "experts in nutritional consulting", so the possible placebo and nocebo effects would be even more intense here [18]. Greene et al. found that people eating an extra 300 kcal a day on a very-low-carbohydrate diet lost a similar amount of weight during a 12-week study as those on a low-fat diet [19]. Over the course of the study, subjects consumed an extra 25,000 kcal that should have added up to about a 7 pounds weight gain; it did not. The study was unique because all the food was prepared at an upscale Italian restaurant, so the researchers knew exactly what they ate, and one could not argue that diets were not palatable. (an excerpt from this paper: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2129158/)

For those others reading this, the answer is "it depends on the person." I know many people who have lost without a deficit.

Based on what do you "know" they lost without a deficit?

Why the h*ll would they lie? For all we "know" you haven't done anything you say in your food diary or profile and everything you say in posts is a lie. If we are going to go around "*kitten*"uming everyone is a liar, we'll never get anywhere. I belong to a forum of many, many people who have done NK while not at a deficit. Forums full of thousands of people lying? That's an awfully grand conspiracy theory...

The first law of thermodynamics dictates that body mass remains constant when caloric intake equals caloric expenditure. It should be noted, however, that different diets lead to different biochemical pathways that are not equivalent when correctly compared through the laws of thermodynamics. It is inappropriate to assume that the only thing that counts in terms of food consumption and energy balance is the intake of dietary calories and weight storage....Samaha et al. randomly assigned 132 severely obese subjects to a low-carbohydrate or calorie and fat-restricted (low-fat) diet [17]. Seventy-nine subjects completed this six-month study. It should be noted that the difference in consumption of energy from carbohydrate was quite narrow: 51% in the low-fat group and 37% in the low-carbohydrate group. Total energy intake at the 6-month mark was 1567 kcal/day in the low-fat group and 1630 kcal/day in the low-carbohydrate group. Thus, the low-carbohydrate group consumed 54 extra kcal/day. Nevertheless, the low-carbohydrate group lost 5.8 kg (and was still losing weight at 6 months) vs. 1.9 kg (leveled off) in the low-fat group. Both groups were given an exceptional number of contacts with "experts in nutritional consulting", so the possible placebo and nocebo effects would be even more intense here [18]. Greene et al. found that people eating an extra 300 kcal a day on a very-low-carbohydrate diet lost a similar amount of weight during a 12-week study as those on a low-fat diet [19]. Over the course of the study, subjects consumed an extra 25,000 kcal that should have added up to about a 7 pounds weight gain; it did not. The study was unique because all the food was prepared at an upscale Italian restaurant, so the researchers knew exactly what they ate, and one could not argue that diets were not palatable. (an excerpt from this paper: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2129158/)

But, as no one reads other peoples studies on MFP and/or refuses to accept them out of sheer stubbornness... I'm certain that you will say none of the results in any of the studies cited in the paper (31 of them) were valid.

This is a good one, too, and discusses why the whole "calorie is just a calorie" nonsense violates thermodynamics. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC506782/

But for every study or paper there exists an inverse study or paper proving why the first one was BS. So for every calorie-deficit study, someone will post a ketosis paper that is in direct defiance, and we're stuck on a giant, stupid, pointless wheel.

That's ok. I have indeed lost just under 45 lbs and have pictures as evidence to prove my fat a** isn't so fat any longer. I do indeed eat bacon and a lot of meat and fat, to my husband's annoyance, but he's happy with the shape my body is taking now and wouldn't have it any other way. But I could be lying about that...

Well someone has their knickers in a twist tonight :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

I'm still patiently waiting for someone to tell me if I need to remain in a calorie deficit for low carb to work.

I'm still patiently waiting for someone to tell me if I need to remain in a calorie deficit for low carb to work.

Yes.

Thanks you for your considerate response. You're much nicer than that bacobits person that keeps posting yawning smileys. I wish all of MFP were more like you

jeez. i had no idea of the sorry plight of the MFP low carber. it must be awful for you guys to have to actually support your claims! imma go ahead and pin a yellow ribbon on my lapel just for you guys. or maybe i should dump a bucket of rice on head and tag other people on facebook?

I lost about 30 lbs (really FAST) on Atkins when I was in my 20's. It was because the diet was so restrictive, and I got so sick of meat/cheese, that I essentially just stopped eating. I believe I uttered these exact words before dropping the diet: "I would rather starve to death than eat one more bunless burger".

"Diets" are so much fun. :indifferent:

I can understand your frustration. I have been on a low carb diet for a little over a month now. My calories for wt loss of about 1 1/2 lbs per week is 1200 cal. I am having difficulty getting to 1000 cal/day, since I don;t like vegetables unless they are cooked. I'm also getting very tired of chicken. Fruits have so many carbs that they have to be limitted.